Student Interest Piece #3: Amanda Sacknitzhttp://www.seattleu.edu/albers/blog.aspx?id=151664&blogid=45580
Amanda Sacknitz, lovingly called Snacknitz by those who know her penchant for class snacking, has lived in Washington for her entire life. Currently, she resides in her hometown of Duvall, in which she claims to have access to the beautiful]]>2015-03-30T11:35:32Z

Amanda Sacknitz, lovingly called Snacknitz by those who know her penchant for class snacking, has lived in Washington for her entire life. Currently, she resides in her hometown of Duvall, in which she claims to have access to the beautiful starry night skies. This is her biggest victory over the rest of us city dwellers, access to a world without the glaring light pollution that makes Seattle seem a little grayer than it should be. In fact, her access to the stars may be the mystical element that has allowed her to have more clarity than most when it comes to her life goals and future plans.

For her, Seattle University and the Bridge MBA program provide an opportunity to stay close to home, keep graduate school cost effective, and get it done, “quick and dirty.” The one-year window has kept Amanda on track and pushed her towards her ultimate goal, to move out of low-level sales and be the decision maker. It’s a concept that was brought up, time and time again, in last quarter’s Information Systems in the Digital Enterprise (taught by Madhu Rao). It’s the idea that our breadth of knowledge in this program will allow us the opportunity to make informed decisions within the business world. The focus of this decision making process falls into the informed logic that allows us to not only grow businesses, but also provide socially just perspectives that form companies worth working for and supporting.

For her, Rao’s IT course has been the “hands down favorite.” It was not a hard choice for her to make, as the class challenged her conceptions of technology while focusing on case studies discussed in such a format that the classroom felt more like “a boardroom than anything else.” That, combined with Rao’s ability to foster debate and play devil’s advocate, created the type of environment in which Amanda could advocate for and spread change.

Like many of us, Amanda came in with the goal to grab the degree and grow within the professional world. However, at the halfway mark, Amanda has found that her cohort has taken on a bigger part of her MBA experience than anticipated. Most recently, she took an excursion down to San Francisco with myself and Marianne Stover. The whole trip, it should be noted, occurred for no other reason than to blow off steam and see a new city. This experience, she admits, “was not something she expected to find.” Yet there it is, and here most of us find it. It is in the close quarters of growth that it is more challenging not to become close with one another, not to see each other as an integral part of this experience.

Amanda’s greatest strength is in her openness to the Bridge MBA journey and all of the great opportunities that will surely come her way. She hopes her decision making skills, combined with her master’s degree, will allow her to facilitate growth and change in the woefully underfunded subject of women’s health. All in all, don’t be surprised if you see Amanda Sacknitz on a non-profit board, we certainly won’t.

General Advice:Seattle: “Don’t exfoliate too much in the winter time. Seattle’s a little finicky with the weather … also, the Internet is a capable tool for a lot of research!”

To Parents: “Let your kids flourish in the program. Grad school is a time to let go and a time for us to come together and become smart and gifted adults.”

To Prospective Students: “Don’t expect to find an internship without putting in work. Life is all about connections and being in a new program is very exciting but sometimes challenging to navigate. Always speak your mind and see if you can help build something better. This program is all about decision-making and being an informed and beneficial part of a community.”

Have a question about the Bridge MBA program? Want to chat in person? Feel free to send an e-mail to any of us below!

]]>Just Be Yourself, Manhttp://www.seattleu.edu/albers/blog.aspx?id=151479&blogid=45580
I’m currently sitting in a Starbucks near the B11 gate, located all the way at the far end of the Seatac Airport. There are four television screens in view, all of them playing news or sports programs. There’s an international]]>2015-03-24T14:59:12ZI’m currently sitting in a Starbucks near the B11 gate, located all the way at the far end of the Seatac Airport. There are four television screens in view, all of them playing news or sports programs. There’s an international payphone with a pole that contains some universal sign for phone at the very top of it. There’s even a handwritten note informing me that Starbucks is, “Now Serving Coconut Milk Made From Sumatran Coconuts.” Everywhere there’s this push for product to be moved, for a potential customer’s attention. The rather interesting part is it all feels a little grosser in an airport. You’re trapped, you’ve got no choice but to engage with the ads and notices because you need to make calls, eat food, use rented movies to stave off that tipsy guy who wants to have a heart to heart on the flight. (Sorry, it’s probably me.) Essentially, we’re being bombarded by implemented market strategies, by customer engagement attempts that pull, pick, prod, and ultimately consume the wallet share of a diverse, traveling crowd.

The problem that companies and people have is centered not in the job itself, but the authenticity of all these decisions and interactions. Yet here some of us will find ourselves, trudging through the world we hope to engage in. We know that now we may be the ones shifting supply chain over to Sumatran Coconuts, maybe we’ll move into managing news ad sales, we could be the ones hiring the designer to create the international symbol for “payphone,” we could even create a movie rental business partnered with an airport.

A lot of us in the program are truly creative people, inspired to grow and spread their own consciousness out into the noise that you only really notice in a place like an airport. Now, halfway through graduate school with no projects to take up our own engagement, we must question the choices we’ve made to get here. These conversations are almost always relegated to bars and late night phone conversations, the tinny voice asking or answering, “What’s the point of all this?”

There is no doubt that we are not the only ones asking these questions or filling that blank space with answers. The program works in an interesting way here, and it’s situated in the fact that we don’t see it. It all starts when applications come before the desks of those talented, caring, and funny human beings who select the cohort. You have Susan Weihrich, David Carrithers, John Merle, and many others who work behind the scenes with a true passion for both learning and helping others. These initial decisions, on who ends up stuck together, crammed in classes day in and day out, that’s the spark to light the match. What you then find are a group of diverse people who want more than a 9 to 5, who’ve been inspired to first swim out into the world of art and creative vision, only to find that they need the business language and skills in order to flourish. In this way, we’re put together to do much more than the average group, we’re working together to heal, to learn, and to grow into the kinds of people who can be understood and are understanding.

In those late night conversations, I see talented individuals who recognize a certain perceived sickness or wrongness within the world. They’ve always seen it, as most of us do, but they also see ways to fix it, and this program has taken on that lens for them. It’s about creating a better world, about taking a moment like high-fiving your teammates, or celebrating achievements with a significant other and using those to fuel a consciousness that engages with the other authentically and unapologetically.

No matter the petty differences between us, at the end of the program we will walk away with knowledge accumulated over the year that has already pushed us to question our realities, futures, and ability to spread compassion inside and outside of the classroom. I can’t tell you if the program is the main factor that has built this inside of us, but I can tell you that this class will change the world.

As always, if you have a question about the Bridge MBA program or want to chat in person, send an e-mail to any of us below.

]]>The Real World: Internships and Business Planshttp://www.seattleu.edu/albers/blog.aspx?id=151033&blogid=45580
The Real World: Internships and Business Plans
We are now almost halfway through our experience with the Bridge MBA. As this milestone approaches, the cohort is in many different modes, though all of them relate back to planning.
Our first and]]>2015-03-12T11:55:49ZThe Real World: Internships and Business Plans

We are now almost halfway through our experience with the Bridge MBA. As this milestone approaches, the cohort is in many different modes, though all of them relate back to planning.

Our first and foremost goal comes down to answering an initial question that’s bounced around in our collective headspace for the past few months. Do we enter the Harriet Stephenson Business Plan Competition or should we go for an internship? It was not an easy decision, as we could choose either in order to complete the requirement for the program.

However, for most of us, the opportunities and wide range of internships were our first priority. As always we were not on our own, as the program delivers another round of resume reviews, practice interviews, and one-on-one meetings with Justin Dolce, our new Graduate Student Career Advisor. There was a lot of work to be done, and all of us have learned that rejection is a big part of the game. Despite these struggles, the appealing nature of the internship option can be found in its broad range of promised experience (and pay). There’s an opportunity to enter into a field that has interested you. Maybe it’s a job you’ve wanted since childhood, or maybe it’s an interest that’s been triggered by one of the more recent MBA classes. Either way, the internships are akin to a test drive. Try navigating part of the real world, see if you perform well, then either find a new “car” or double down and try to find those fulltime jobs later in the year. For us, it’s just one of many real reassurances that we are developing skills that will cater to our future careers.

For some, however, the entrepreneurship opportunities are too good to pass up. Two students in particular, Ryan Claypool and Kevin Klauer, have decided to go ahead and enter the competition. The business plan competition serves two distinct purposes. The first is to allow students who may not have a solid working background to engage in work that can help build a portfolio and show fulltime employers the skills and knowledge these students can bring to the table. The second is a chance to realize the dream of every entrepreneur, potential seed money and recognition of a personal vision. Ryan and Kevin fall into the second category, both of them excited about the chance to push forth their own ideas into a competition whose previous winners have gone on to raise 4 million in initial capital.

Outside of these goals and future plans, many of us are making use of our free time to explore Seattle and plan trips for our upcoming break. In Seattle, roaming around with veterans and newbies alike, our cohort has been able to enjoy the broad range of eateries, bars, shopping, and more. Outside of the city, many of us are taking trips together, our newfound friendships blossoming into the kind of connections that will last many years down the line. For myself this translates into hosting two of my classmates in San Francisco, sharing a part of my life most of my undergraduate friends have been unable to experience. As always, options inside and outside of the classroom abound in the Bridge MBA and we are as grateful as ever to be a part of it.

Check out some pictures of us exploring below:

Have a question about the Bridge MBA program? Want to chat in person? Feel free to send an e-mail to any of us below!John Merle (Program Director): merlej@seattleu.edu

]]>Student Interest Piece #2: Danielle (Dani) Hallhttp://www.seattleu.edu/albers/blog.aspx?id=150615&blogid=45580
From Washington to Utah and back again, Danielle’s journey has been filled with a search for meaning (and sushi). This search for meaning originally manifested itself in her undergraduate studies at Utah State, where she graduated in 2010 with a]]>2015-02-27T15:40:37Z

From Washington to Utah and back again, Danielle’s journey has been filled with a search for meaning (and sushi). This search for meaning originally manifested itself in her undergraduate studies at Utah State, where she graduated in 2010 with a BS in Anthropology. After completing her studies, Danielle and her fiancé moved into the Central District in order to be close to Seattle University’s Law School. From here, it could be said that the Bridge MBA was a program of convenience for Danielle, but it is not the case.

For Danielle, the program offers her a chance to take her degree in anthropology and apply it to the human condition within business practices. With her interest in Human Resources, the program has become the gateway to get a job that fulfills her interests, as is the case for all of us in the program.

More specifically, her favorite class (so far) has been Economics, taught by Erin Vernon. The information gleaned has helped Danielle in understanding supply and demand on both a micro and macro scale but it has also pushed her to question the relationships between the consumer and the economy. It is, ultimately, these theories that remind her that she loves both the personal and analytical, thus solidifying career interests that she has long held.

Outside of classes, the program has also worked to bring fun and excitement into her daily life. In our interview, she noted that both the supportive students and the dedication of the faculty have been distinctively beneficial. Not only are the professors working to ensure their individual classes mesh in relevant and topical ways, but they work in tandem so critical assignments never put too much pressure on the cohort. This translates to all of us having time to engage with each other, both in relation to studying and blowing off steam.

For Danielle, the program will bring her to the next step in her life story. With a marriage in the works and new job opportunities opening up, she’s set up for a life in which hard work is paying off.

General Advice:Seattle: “Seattle is full of cool stuff, especially during summer. I love going to catch a Sounders game or exploring all of the different parks. Definitely get yourself out there and see what’s going on.”

To Parents: “This is for the younger students’ parents. Don’t think that it will be easy just because it’s a one-year program and know that the program really does set someone up for the future.”

To Prospective Students: “Take advantage of every opportunity even if you think it’s lame. Those opportunities give you so many chances to explore, learn, and potentially connect with someone or something that can guide your life. This program is all about growing your opportunities. Just do it!”

Have a question about the Bridge MBA program? Want to chat in person? Feel free to send an e-mail to any of us below!John Merle (Program Director): merlej@seattleu.edu

]]>Showing and Telling: Balance in the Bridge MBAhttp://www.seattleu.edu/albers/blog.aspx?id=150264&blogid=45580
“Show, don’t tell.” It’s a common phrase you’ll hear in creative writing seminars. You’re supposed to immerse the reader in a world, crafting dialogue and other elements that bring them straight into the story. However, the “telling” portion of any]]>2015-02-19T14:47:01Z “Show, don’t tell.” It’s a common phrase you’ll hear in creative writing seminars. You’re supposed to immerse the reader in a world, crafting dialogue and other elements that bring them straight into the story. However, the “telling” portion of any story is still an important tool. It works to create shortcuts, to move a story along and ensure your average novel doesn’t get stuck in just one place.

Unlike most authors, universities often employ a “tell” model. It’s a sort of necessary evil, in which educational institutions need to cover a plethora of topics and cannot place students in every environment where “showing” is an option. This is where the stress of graduation comes into play, and why internships are so heavily encouraged. You may learn about supply chain management in a classroom, but you won’t know if it’s the right job until you’ve been shown how such a topic functions in the real world.

The Bridge MBA works to employ a hybrid of the show/tell model that emphasizes an education which helps students to find the jobs they’ll flourish in. For the cohort as a whole, this intersect can be found in Seattle University’s Executive Speaker Series and Mentor Program. The Executive Speaker Series, as the name suggests, is a string of events that bring CEO’s, CIO’s, CFO’s, and the like to Seattle University. With companies like PACCAR, Holland America Line, Blucora, and Columbia Bank, the Speaker Series engages in the best kind of telling. It gets students up close and personal with those who have gone down the path many of us are currently on.

Enter Seattle University’s Mentor Program. Every student in the Bridge MBA is assigned a mentor based on a meet and greet event where both full-time professionals and students mingle. These mentors offer guidance in potential job fields and can even set up job shadows within their own industry. The combination of a one-on-one relationship with a mentor allows students to take the lecture-esque Speaker Series and get real advice from someone dedicated to helping them succeed.

The professors within the Bridge MBA also realize the importance of a balanced dynamic between showing and telling. In Operations and Supply Chain Management, taught by Greg Magnan (syllabus here), we are encouraged and required to visit a company in the PNW in order to understand and grasp the reality of supply chain management. Thanks to Danielle Hall’s mentor, my group was able to set up a tour of PACCAR’s Kenworth facility in Renton. That same week the CEO of PACCAR, Ron Armstrong, spoke at an Executive Speaker Series and I found the opportunity to ask him about supply chain strategy. The combination helped our group to create deliverables and provided us with the opportunity to grow in our understanding of supply chain management.

Jay Lambe, who teaches Marketing Strategy, goes a step further. Not only has he set up a marketing project with a local PNW company, more on that in a post coming soon, but he regularly brings in members of the community who have been engaged in various marketing ventures. In the last month alone, we have been fortunate enough to have met and heard from Todd Olsen, Product Development Lead for Golazo and Robbie Bach, the former President of Entertainment & Devices at Microsoft. Both of these speakers spent over an hour presenting, answering questions, and giving us an inside look into how data utilization and creative thinking function in the world of marketing.

Todd Olsen posing with some of the cohort.Photo Credit: Eric Madison.

So, there you have it. All of these experiences bring us closer to an understanding that goes much further than skimming a textbook or taking a test and the Bridge MBA provides that solid network which keeps us on task academically while allowing us to veer off into whatever field seems to be calling our name.

In the next post we will be discussing the internship process our cohort is going through, the Harriet Stephenson Business Plan Competition, and how some of our limited free time is spent in Seattle.

Have a question about the Bridge MBA program? Want to chat in person? Feel free to send an e-mail to any of us below!John Merle (Program Director): merlej@seattleu.edu

]]>Student Interest Piece #1: Kourtnee Moorehttp://www.seattleu.edu/albers/blog.aspx?id=149918&blogid=45580
Student interest pieces are designed to give you a glimpse into the wide array of people that are engaged in their yearlong journey with the Bridge MBA program. Each week I, Benjamin Porter, will interview a student and compile a]]>2015-02-11T10:35:55ZStudent interest pieces are designed to give you a glimpse into the wide array of people that are engaged in their yearlong journey with the Bridge MBA program. Each week I, Benjamin Porter, will interview a student and compile a profile that highlights who they are, what they’re all about, and what advice they have for parents and students alike.Hailing from the suburbs of Chicago, Kourtnee Moore is our first student to be featured. She prefers dogs over cats, loves the color baby blue, and wholeheartedly misses Chicago “deep dish” pizza. In 2014, Kourtnee graduated from DePaul University in Chicago with a B.A. in psychology. Kourtnee was attracted to Seattle University because of its “pacific northwest vibe” and proximity to a plethora of activities in Capitol Hill and other prominent neighborhoods. Additionally, she felt that the Bridge MBA delivered a platform for her to use her knowledge in psychology and apply it to business practices and projects.

So far, Kourtnee’s favorite class has been Fall Quarter’s Organizational Behavior. Taught by Colette Hoption (syllabus here), the class focused on the study of the self and others in relation to team cohesion, the management of organizations, and emerging business development strategies implemented by companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo. For Kourtnee, this class solidified something she had felt but not known. She found that she already held the knowledgeable capital needed in the business world, but could now apply it in quantifiable terms ready to be highlighted in a resume or explored in an interview. It is one of Kourtnee’s favorite parts of the program, that ability to unlock old information and apply it to relevant business structures.

Within the cohort itself, Kourtnee’s emotional intelligence can be found in her quick wit and empathy towards students who are struggling with certain concepts or decisions. While her biggest hope is to find a company that invests in her as much as she invests in them, our cohort can say from experience that her attitude will lend itself quickly to those forward-thinking environments.

General Advice:Seattle: “Seattle has so much going on, just get out there and explore. I love going out with people and studying or letting off steam in places like, Pike and Pine St., Café Vita, or the library on campus.”

To Parents: “Take a load off. You wouldn’t believe how involved the Albers Placement Center is. The program also does mock interviews, resume reviews with companies like Geico, individual meetings with the program director, and more…”

To Prospective Students: “Study hard on your own. We took classes online in order to prepare for the classes but you can really set yourself up to learn more and figure out what you love by seeing what sticks on its own. Also, learn to network!”

Have a question about the Bridge MBA program? Want to chat in person? Feel free to send an e-mail to any of us below!

]]>An Offer You Can't Refuse: An Overview of the Bridge MBA Benefitshttp://www.seattleu.edu/albers/blog.aspx?id=149808&blogid=45580
Welcome to “Bridging the Gap”, your number one source for everything related to Seattle University’s Bridge MBA program. Over the next few months, Eric and I will take you through the opportunities and adventures afforded to us through this program.
(BenAndEric.jpg]]>2015-02-09T13:13:17Z Welcome to “Bridging the Gap”, your number one source for everything related to Seattle University’s Bridge MBA program. Over the next few months, Eric and I will take you through the opportunities and adventures afforded to us through this program.In a nutshell, the Bridge MBA is a 12-month graduate program designed to give non-business majors the opportunity to explore and develop business acumen. It’s a broad program, one that will give you a breadth of knowledge to guide your future career decisions and provide an entrance into a sometimes complicated and confusing world.

An unconventional example of that breadth of knowledge comes from the first day our cohort met each other. We were all dressed up, unsure of what to make of each other, and not at all sure what the day had in store for us. Within an hour, we were instructed to dive through hula hoops, perform trust falls, and generally goof around. These activities, while a little silly, broke down barriers between strangers and revealed the similarities and differences between us. That first day, we learned something businesses like Microsoft and Amazon pay a lot of money to learn, you have to be supported by a good team of people in order to accomplish even the simplest tasks.

I’ll provide another example of the odd but necessary learning that has taken place for me over the last five months. When I got into this program, I couldn’t tie a tie. This is a confession that I will gladly put out onto the web because it illustrates an important point.

The program offers almost 24/7 guidance on effective networking techniques, where to find tutors, and how to build a resume. The program does not offer a seminar on how to tie a tie. Enter Patrick Popovici, one of the many friends I’ve made in this program. He was my style savior. Having worked in a law firm for a few years before joining our cohort in the Bridge MBA, he had an extensive knowledge of corporate dress and the kindness to teach me that one minuscule but essential task of tying a tie. That’s the beautiful thing about this program. Your skills are developed and grown everywhere, whether that be in a classroom, a workshop, or in a bathroom mirror 10 minutes before an internship fair. It sets our program apart and makes the whole being a professional adult thing a lot easier.

As you’ll see in the student interest pieces we will go on to publish, the strength of this program comes from the diverse background of students all pursuing a common goal. There’s a constant convergence of knowledge, one that helps to inform students in the connection between supply chain management and informational technology, as well as the little things we often don’t think about while pursuing a degree.

Next week we will dive into the academic benefits of the Bridge MBA program by covering Seattle University’s Mentor Program, the Executive Speaker Series, and a trip we took to PACCAR for our winter quarter class, Operations and Supply Chain Management. In the meantime, click HERE to get a bird’s-eye view of what the class of 2015 looks like.

Have a question about the Bridge MBA program? Want to chat in person? Feel free to send an e-mail to any of us below!

]]>Bridge Banter, September 30, 2014http://www.seattleu.edu/albers/blog.aspx?id=143882&blogid=45580
Welcome to our first issue of Bridge Banter. Rather than overwhelm you with lots of emails, I will try and keep that number down by sending you an update every two weeks with critical announcements, updates, and “gossip.” Bridge staff,]]>2014-10-08T11:29:47ZWelcome to our first issue of Bridge Banter. Rather than overwhelm you with lots of emails, I will try and keep that number down by sending you an update every two weeks with critical announcements, updates, and “gossip.” Bridge staff, faculty, and alums will also be kept updated on what is going on in the program. If you would like me to add anything to the newsletter, just email. I will also post to the Bridge Canvas page. (I just took a Canvas course, so I am eager to try all the tools!)

Mentor Fair

One of the more important events this week is the Albers Mentor Fair on Friday, October 3. Please go to the Albers Placement Center webpage at http://www.seattleu.edu/albers/programs/mentor/. There is important information about how to participate and a list of the mentors. You can filter to see which of the mentors have specifically requested Bridge MBA students. As of last week, there were 19 Bridge mentors from a diverse selection of industries and functional areas.

Business Communications Seminar

Back by popular demand is Professor Bryan Ruppert. Next Tuesday and Thursday, October 7 & 9, Dr. Ruppert will be presenting the mandatory Fall quarter Business Communications Seminar. Employers tell us that communications is one of the most important skills that students should develop before they start their professional careers. The seminars are 10:30-noon. Tuesday is in CHDN 143, and Thursday is CHDN 144. Attendance is required at both sessions. We won’t be able to provide lunch, but you will have plenty of time to run over to the Student Center before your afternoon class.

EXCEL Certification

Several students have asked about completing the EXCEL certification exam. It is a great resume addition. We are a certified testing center. You can find out more about the certification exam at http://www.seattleu.edu/albers/undergraduate/resources/excel/. It is on the undergraduate website because Albers requires that all Albers undergraduates be EXCEL certified before they graduate. Many graduate students also want this opportunity.

Meetings with Susan

Don’t forget to email me at weihrich@seattleu.edu and set-up an appointment to discuss your experiences and any challenges you might be having in the program.

See you Friday at the Albers Mentor Fair!

Best,

Susan WeihrichAssociate Dean and Bridge MBA Director

]]>Summer Classes? No Problemhttp://www.seattleu.edu/albers/blog.aspx?id=137511&blogid=45580
In my entire academic career (this includes
everything prior to grad school) I have never had to take summer classes. This
has changed since the start of my summer quarter in the Bridge MBA program.
With this quarter being all that stands in the way of me obtaining my master of
business administration degree, I can honestly say I have no problem spending
my summer inside the classroom for the first time. This will be the last
quarter I will spend with my classmates, which makes me a little sad as I have
grown close to these people over the course of the year. This is not to say I
am not also excited to complete the quarter as it is the final stretch before I
cross the finish line. I am sure when August 16th comes and I will
be graduating, it will be quite the bittersweet moment.
Often summer classes have a stigma to them which can
be negative. People usually take them to make up for credits, or because they
have to in order to graduate on time. The last thing someone wants to be doing
over summer break is to be taking more classes. For me, this is not true this
time. There is no place I would rather be than on campus learning from Seattle
University’s amazing staff of business professors. Though there will be days
when I look outside and wish I was outside, I will be happy in knowing that
what I am learning is essential in my future success and to completing my
degree which is less than two months away. This quarter I will be working with
a group of four other students as we partake in our Capstone which is a
consulting project for a startup. The Capstone focuses on strategy and Michael
Porter’s five forces. I am looking forward to taking the knowledge I gain from
this course and applying it to my future career one day.
This quarter I expect my cohort to become closer
with one another than we already are. With the end in sight, we know we won’t
be spending as much time with one another and we are planning on hanging out
much more outside of the classroom. The nice weather will make this easier.
There is no more beautiful place to spend summer than in Seattle even if it
will be inside for some of the time. Who knows, maybe we can convince some of
our professors to lecture outside every once in awhile.
By: Roger Pierce, 2014 Bridge MBA candidate]]>2014-06-26T14:11:38ZIn my entire academic career (this includes
everything prior to grad school) I have never had to take summer classes. This
has changed since the start of my summer quarter in the Bridge MBA program.
With this quarter being all that stands in the way of me obtaining my master of
business administration degree, I can honestly say I have no problem spending
my summer inside the classroom for the first time. This will be the last
quarter I will spend with my classmates, which makes me a little sad as I have
grown close to these people over the course of the year. This is not to say I
am not also excited to complete the quarter as it is the final stretch before I
cross the finish line. I am sure when August 16th comes and I will
be graduating, it will be quite the bittersweet moment.

Often summer classes have a stigma to them which can
be negative. People usually take them to make up for credits, or because they
have to in order to graduate on time. The last thing someone wants to be doing
over summer break is to be taking more classes. For me, this is not true this
time. There is no place I would rather be than on campus learning from Seattle
University’s amazing staff of business professors. Though there will be days
when I look outside and wish I was outside, I will be happy in knowing that
what I am learning is essential in my future success and to completing my
degree which is less than two months away. This quarter I will be working with
a group of four other students as we partake in our Capstone which is a
consulting project for a startup. The Capstone focuses on strategy and Michael
Porter’s five forces. I am looking forward to taking the knowledge I gain from
this course and applying it to my future career one day.

This quarter I expect my cohort to become closer
with one another than we already are. With the end in sight, we know we won’t
be spending as much time with one another and we are planning on hanging out
much more outside of the classroom. The nice weather will make this easier.
There is no more beautiful place to spend summer than in Seattle even if it
will be inside for some of the time. Who knows, maybe we can convince some of
our professors to lecture outside every once in awhile.

By: Roger Pierce, 2014 Bridge MBA candidate

]]>Co-Curricular Activities: Executive Speaker Serieshttp://www.seattleu.edu/albers/blog.aspx?id=136259&blogid=45580
Throughout the Bridge MBA program, students are
required to partake in “co-curricular activities” which are business related
activities that must be completed along with our courses in order to graduate.
One of these co-curricular activities was an Executive Speaker Series put on by
the Albers School of Business and Economics in which prominent figures of a
company (most of the time the CEO) come and give a one hour lecture to a large
audience. During winter quarter I wrote a blog reflecting on my experience at Ray
Conner’s Executive Speaker Series who is the CEO of Boeing Commercial
Airplanes. This past Tuesday marked the last of the Executive Speaker Series. I wanted to use this blog to reflect on my
positive experiences with the event and how I believe it has been a great asset
to my Masters in Business Administration.
Throughout the year, my classmates and I have
attended seven lectures from prominent business figures in the Northwest. My
personal favorite was hearing from Brad Tilden who is the CEO of Alaska
Airlines. Not only did I enjoy listening to him because we graduated from the
same high school (shout out to Highline High), but I also enjoyed how genuine
and honest of a person he was. Now, I could write a great amount about each
speaker, as they were all phenomenal, but I wanted to focus more on the
benefits I have gained from attending this series. The first benefit is the
exposure I have received from hearing about different industries and how they
function. I will be honest, there were some lectures where I decided right then
and there that industry was not for me, and I would not have known that had I
not attended. Also, getting to see a CEO speak in person is pretty cool
exposure too. It is not every day you
get the chance to listen to the head of a company in person.
The second benefit I have gained is more specific to
each lecture. Every speaker gave a piece of valuable advice that I know I will
take with me as I enter my career. Mr.
Conner’s advice that I still hold with me is to “be nice to everyone you meet.”
It is such a simple gesture; yet, so hard to do sometimes. The final benefit I
have gained from this series was more time to get to know my classmates. The
lecture series did not start until 5:30 which gave our cohort two hours to hang
out, grab a drink if people wanted to, and talk about other things besides
class. It gave us more time to bond and
grow closer. At the end of the summer when I reflect on my degree, the
Executive Speaker Series will definitely be an aspect I’ll look at as one of
the more influential.
By: Roger Pierce, Bridge MBA candidate 2014]]>2014-06-02T13:21:00ZThroughout the Bridge MBA program, students are
required to partake in “co-curricular activities” which are business related
activities that must be completed along with our courses in order to graduate.
One of these co-curricular activities was an Executive Speaker Series put on by
the Albers School of Business and Economics in which prominent figures of a
company (most of the time the CEO) come and give a one hour lecture to a large
audience. During winter quarter I wrote a blog reflecting on my experience at Ray
Conner’s Executive Speaker Series who is the CEO of Boeing Commercial
Airplanes. This past Tuesday marked the last of the Executive Speaker Series.I wanted to use this blog to reflect on my
positive experiences with the event and how I believe it has been a great asset
to my Masters in Business Administration.

Throughout the year, my classmates and I have
attended seven lectures from prominent business figures in the Northwest. My
personal favorite was hearing from Brad Tilden who is the CEO of Alaska
Airlines. Not only did I enjoy listening to him because we graduated from the
same high school (shout out to Highline High), but I also enjoyed how genuine
and honest of a person he was. Now, I could write a great amount about each
speaker, as they were all phenomenal, but I wanted to focus more on the
benefits I have gained from attending this series. The first benefit is the
exposure I have received from hearing about different industries and how they
function. I will be honest, there were some lectures where I decided right then
and there that industry was not for me, and I would not have known that had I
not attended. Also, getting to see a CEO speak in person is pretty cool
exposure too. It is not every day you
get the chance to listen to the head of a company in person.

The second benefit I have gained is more specific to
each lecture. Every speaker gave a piece of valuable advice that I know I will
take with me as I enter my career. Mr.
Conner’s advice that I still hold with me is to “be nice to everyone you meet.”
It is such a simple gesture; yet, so hard to do sometimes. The final benefit I
have gained from this series was more time to get to know my classmates. The
lecture series did not start until 5:30 which gave our cohort two hours to hang
out, grab a drink if people wanted to, and talk about other things besides
class. It gave us more time to bond and
grow closer. At the end of the summer when I reflect on my degree, the
Executive Speaker Series will definitely be an aspect I’ll look at as one of
the more influential.

By: Roger Pierce, Bridge MBA candidate 2014

]]>The Bridge to Mastering Excelhttp://www.seattleu.edu/albers/blog.aspx?id=135214&blogid=45580
Not the most exciting blog title, but there's
something you must know about Microsoft Excel and how it relates to the Bridge
MBA program. You use it, you learn it, and you will love it. Spring Quarter
requires the completion of a Financial Modeling course in which many of the
functions you probably never heard of are put to use. I have been greatly
tested in this class and could not be more thankful.
The course has required my classmates and I to take
a word problem (of all kinds, but mostly financial) and implement the answer
into a flexible and easy to use workbook. By flexible I mean our workbooks are
able to have inputs manipulated but still produce similar outputs (similar in
that the process the workbook uses is fixed, therefore inputs can be changed to
give different outputs but are obtained in the same manner). Now, before you to
sleep because I know this has not been my most exciting blog; I want to speak
of the benefits this class has presented and will present in the future.
Microsoft Excel is a vital tool used all across the
business world that has become a necessity for companies and many of
their job functions. Having experience with Microsoft Excel has become a
requirement for many jobs available these days and this class has provided
me with valuable experience with this tool many companies use quite
regularly. Learning Microsoft Excel has been no walk in the park, but the
challenge has been quite enjoyable. There have been many times when I do not
know where to start when it comes to creating a workbook, but once I begin to
apply the concepts I have learned in class it makes solving the problem at hand
much easier. The advanced knowledge I continue to learn about Microsoft Excel
will be a great asset to me in the future and I continue to enjoy learning more
and more about it.
By: Roger Pierce, Bridge MBA candidate 2014]]>2014-05-15T15:21:41ZNot the most exciting blog title, but there's
something you must know about Microsoft Excel and how it relates to the Bridge
MBA program. You use it, you learn it, and you will love it. Spring Quarter
requires the completion of a Financial Modeling course in which many of the
functions you probably never heard of are put to use. I have been greatly
tested in this class and could not be more thankful.

The course has required my classmates and I to take
a word problem (of all kinds, but mostly financial) and implement the answer
into a flexible and easy to use workbook. By flexible I mean our workbooks are
able to have inputs manipulated but still produce similar outputs (similar in
that the process the workbook uses is fixed, therefore inputs can be changed to
give different outputs but are obtained in the same manner). Now, before you to
sleep because I know this has not been my most exciting blog; I want to speak
of the benefits this class has presented and will present in the future.

Microsoft Excel is a vital tool used all across the
business world that has become a necessity for companies and many of
their job functions. Having experience with Microsoft Excel has become a
requirement for many jobs available these days and this class has provided
me with valuable experience with this tool many companies use quite
regularly. Learning Microsoft Excel has been no walk in the park, but the
challenge has been quite enjoyable. There have been many times when I do not
know where to start when it comes to creating a workbook, but once I begin to
apply the concepts I have learned in class it makes solving the problem at hand
much easier. The advanced knowledge I continue to learn about Microsoft Excel
will be a great asset to me in the future and I continue to enjoy learning more
and more about it.

By: Roger Pierce, Bridge MBA candidate 2014

]]>Business Ethics within Seattle Universityhttp://www.seattleu.edu/albers/blog.aspx?id=134146&blogid=45580
Spring quarter in the Bridge MBA
program has challenged me in a manner I have never been academically challenged before. Part of the quarter’s curriculum is a Business Ethics course
where we learn about ethical philosophies in regards to business and attempt
to understand these philosophies within specific case studies. The reason I find
this course difficult is by no means the structure or the workload, but because of the ethical
dilemmas present in the cases we read. At times
I find myself defending a corporation whose business practices are very questionable because there is no written law or code that specifies the need to act differently and
philosophy defends their conduct. I am then presented with another case where
philosophy may defend the business' practices; however, I disagree
completely with what the company is doing.
Ethics is an extremely difficulty
endeavor to tackle in the business world and this class is opening my eyes. Though I am forced to look at a difficult case, analyze it, and make a
decision on the matter where no “right” answer exists, I am very happy I am
being put into this situation in a theoretical sense. Seattle University is
preparing me for these ethical dilemmas, which are more than likely to
arise in my business career. Once I complete this class, I am confident I will
be able to understand unethical behavior, know the root cause, and present
realistic solutions. I am discovering through
this class that there are certain practices I will not stand for in a company and if
a company engages in these practices I know I do not want to work there. The
hardest part about this course is having your eyes opened to the unjust and
terrible things that happen in the world. That is why I am happy Seattle
University values an ethically driven business curricula. They are training
future business leaders in a manner that will hopefully encourage just and ethical conduct.
I enjoy the challenge of learning
about business ethics, because though it can be hard at times, I understand its
necessity. I understand that these difficult issues are not going to go away
unless students like myself take our ethically driven education and put it to
use. This is not to say students like myself will be the ones defining what is
right and wrong; however, it is to say we will be the ones who are able to
identify what is clearly wrong and
what can be done to make it right.
By: Roger Pierce, Bridge MBA candidate 2014
]]>2014-04-24T12:40:59ZSpring quarter in the Bridge MBA
program has challenged me in a manner I have never been academically challenged before. Part of the quarter’s curriculum is a Business Ethics course
where we learn about ethical philosophies in regards to business and attempt
to understand these philosophies within specific case studies. The reason I find
this course difficult is by no means the structure or the workload, but because of the ethical
dilemmas present in the cases we read. At times
I find myself defending a corporation whose business practices are very questionable because there is no written law or code that specifies the need to act differently and
philosophy defends their conduct. I am then presented with another case where
philosophy may defend the business' practices; however, I disagree
completely with what the company is doing.

Ethics is an extremely difficulty
endeavor to tackle in the business world and this class is opening my eyes. Though I am forced to look at a difficult case, analyze it, and make a
decision on the matter where no “right” answer exists, I am very happy I am
being put into this situation in a theoretical sense. Seattle University is
preparing me for these ethical dilemmas, which are more than likely to
arise in my business career. Once I complete this class, I am confident I will
be able to understand unethical behavior, know the root cause, and present
realistic solutions. I am discovering through
this class that there are certain practices I will not stand for in a company and if
a company engages in these practices I know I do not want to work there. The
hardest part about this course is having your eyes opened to the unjust and
terrible things that happen in the world. That is why I am happy Seattle
University values an ethically driven business curricula. They are training
future business leaders in a manner that will hopefully encourage just and ethical conduct.

I enjoy the challenge of learning
about business ethics, because though it can be hard at times, I understand its
necessity. I understand that these difficult issues are not going to go away
unless students like myself take our ethically driven education and put it to
use. This is not to say students like myself will be the ones defining what is
right and wrong; however, it is to say we will be the ones who are able to
identify what is clearly wrong and
what can be done to make it right.

By: Roger Pierce, Bridge MBA candidate 2014

]]>A Mid-Program Reflectionhttp://www.seattleu.edu/albers/blog.aspx?id=133330&blogid=45580
Spring
break has come and gone and I find myself in the midst of my third quarter of the
Bridge MBA program. I am half way to my degree and I could not be any more
excited about it! These
past quarters have been challenging, but very rewarding. I am more than happy
with my decision of pursuing my MBA at Seattle University and I could not be
more proud of my accomplishments, thus far.
Winter
quarter ended the same way it started, busy. Many of my classmates and I have
discussed how last quarter was one of the more challenging and time consuming
quarters we have faced in our academic careers. In my opinion, it was
challenging in a different way than one might think. In my previous blog, I
spoke about the art of group projects inevitably found in all business
curriculums. It is within these projects where I think most of the challenges
arose. Coordinating schedules and devoting much of your outside class time to
projects can be (and was) hard work. This is not to discourage you from wanting
to apply to the Bridge MBA program, as I am happy that I obtained these
experiences prior to entering my future career. Winter quarter was a valuable
quarter as it prepared me for the workload that will, more than likely, be
similar to my job one day. As thankful as I am that winter quarter is over, I
am just as thankful for the hard work I had to put in. Without this hard work,
I don’t believe I would have grown as much as I did.
This
is not to knock on fall quarter at all as that quarter presented challenges and
learning opportunities, as well. However, I am a little biased as I did
discover through winter quarter that supply chain management is the field I
want to go into one day. This has changed drastically from two years ago when I
believed that I wanted to be an Audiologist. I majored in Speech and Hearing
Sciences at my beloved alma mater, the University of Washington, and was
challenged academically there, as well. People always ask me what the
differences are between the two schools and I always find it hard to answer.
For one, undergraduate studies and graduate studies are different in their own
right. That fact alone skews my understanding of their differences so I really
cannot give a justified answer. And two, business presents different challenges
than a science degree and vice versa. There are some things I think were hard
from my undergraduate studies like neuroanatomy, but there are also things that
I think are hard from my graduate studies like accounting. Yes, accounting is just
as difficult for me as understanding neuroanatomy. I actually got a better
grade in my neuroanatomy course than I did my accounting course.
But
I digress. The real reason I am writing this blog is because I want to let you
know that it has been a long journey in higher education. I didn’t have to pursue my MBA at Seattle University.
I’m sure most of you are having difficulty deciding whether or not you should
even apply. I hope this blog can put to rest some of the fears and doubts you
may be having. I absolutely questioned whether or not this program was worth my
time and my money while I was applying. And I’ll be honest with you; I even had
my doubts at the start of the program when classes had already begun. Was this
worth it? Will it pay out? But doubts and questions are natural, especially
early on. But with two quarters under my belt and two more left until my
graduation, my doubts cease to exist. Seattle University has an amazing
curriculum, amazing professors, and an astounding amount of business
connections. I cannot tell you specifically where this degree will take me down
the road; all I know is that I’m happy with the route it’s taking.By: Roger Pierce, Bridge MBA candidate 2014]]>2014-04-10T14:21:03ZSpring break has come and gone and I
find myself in the midst of my third quarter of the Bridge MBA program. I am
half way to my degree and I could not be any more excited about it! These
past quarters have been challenging, but very rewarding. I am more than happy
with my decision of pursuing my MBA at Seattle University and I could not be
more proud of my accomplishments, thus far.

Winter quarter ended the
same way it started, busy. Many of my classmates and I have discussed how last
quarter was one of the more challenging and time consuming quarters we have
faced in our academic careers. In my opinion, it was challenging in a different
way than one might think. In my previous blog, I spoke about the art of group projects
inevitably found in all business curriculums. It is within these projects where
I think most of the challenges arose. Coordinating schedules and devoting much
of your outside class time to projects can be (and was) hard work. This is not
to discourage you from wanting to apply to the Bridge MBA program, as I am
happy that I obtained these experiences prior to entering my future career.
Winter quarter was a valuable quarter as it prepared me for the workload that
will, more than likely, be similar to my job one day. As thankful as I am that
winter quarter is over, I am just as thankful for the hard work I had to put
in. Without this hard work, I don’t believe I would have grown as much as I
did.

This is not to knock on
fall quarter at all as that quarter presented challenges and learning
opportunities, as well. However, I am a little biased as I did discover through
winter quarter that supply chain management is the field I want to go into one
day. This has changed drastically from two years ago when I believed that I
wanted to be an Audiologist. I majored in Speech and Hearing Sciences at my
beloved alma mater, the University of Washington, and was challenged
academically there, as well. People always ask me what the differences are
between the two schools and I always find it hard to answer. For one,
undergraduate studies and graduate studies are different in their own right.
That fact alone skews my understanding of their differences so I really cannot
give a justified answer. And two, business presents different challenges than a
science degree and vice versa. There are some things I think were hard from my
undergraduate studies like neuroanatomy, but there are also things that I think
are hard from my graduate studies like accounting. Yes, accounting is just as
difficult for me as understanding neuroanatomy. I actually got a better grade
in my neuroanatomy course than I did my accounting course.

But I digress. The real reason I am
writing this blog is because I want to let you know that it has been a long
journey in higher education. I didn’t have to pursue my MBA at Seattle
University. I’m sure most of you are having difficulty deciding whether or not
you should even apply. I hope this blog can put to rest some of the fears and
doubts you may be having. I absolutely questioned whether or not this program
was worth my time and my money while I was applying. And I’ll be honest with
you; I even had my doubts at the start of the program when classes had already
begun. Was this worth it? Will it pay out? But doubts and questions are
natural, especially early on. But with two quarters under my belt and two more
left until my graduation, my doubts cease to exist. Seattle University has an
amazing curriculum, amazing professors, and an astounding amount of business
connections. I cannot tell you specifically where this degree will take me down
the road; all I know is that I’m happy with the route it’s taking.

By: Roger Pierce, Bridge MBA
candidate 2014]]>Business School and the Art of Group Projectshttp://www.seattleu.edu/albers/blog.aspx?id=130955&blogid=45580
As winter quarter draws to an end, I
find myself in the midst of completing four group projects for four different
courses. Add this number to the three group projects from the previous quarter
and my grand total is seven group projects in six months. You can pretty much
call me a group project master at this point. Okay maybe not a master, but you
see the trend. The Bridge MBA program provides many opportunities for group
work in the form of reports, presentations, and analyses. My classmates and I
have grown accustomed to this style of work, helping us to prepare for our
future careers.
Each quarter my classmates and I are
divided into different study groups (4-5 members in size), giving us the
opportunity to work alongside different people. These study groups are then the
same groups used by our professors for group projects, which makes it easier to
juggle the many different projects going on at one time during the quarter.
This is nice because it gives us the ability to work on different projects at
one time (in some cases) and not have to worry about meeting with different
people at different times. Schedules conflict enough as it is at times, so it
is nice to only have to schedule around 3 or 4 other people’s schedules for
four projects, instead of many other people’s schedules for separate projects.
As you can imagine with four
projects, my group has had to meet many times during the quarter. Often times
we meet before class once or twice a week and occasionally after class to touch
base and possibly work on other aspects of a project. As the due dates for
these projects become closer, we have scheduled a couple of weekends in advance
to meet and spend a few hours dedicated to organizing, outlining, and
practicing presentations. This group time is great because it gives us all a
chance to bounce ideas off of one another, makes us feel productive in our
completion of project milestones, and allows us to rely on one another for
aspects of the course we might not grasp as well as another group member. This
is not to say we meet for every
aspect of each project. Both of my groups from each quarter have been good
about delegating different aspects of the group work that can be completed
individually. Often times it does not make sense to meet to work on something
we could all be working on separately.
The biggest thing I have learned
from this group work is selflessness. I will not lie to you, there are times
where I am so exhausted from class that the last thing I want to do is meet
with my group about a project. I am probably not the only person in my group
who feels that way. However, in those moments I suck it up and remember that
the meeting is important to more people than just me. Everyone in my group is
sacrificing something in order to complete our project; time that can be spent
elsewhere (with family, friends, doing homework, etc.) or energy that can also
be spent doing something else. At the end of the day, each student knows we are
all in these projects together and sacrificing something in order to meet. This
aspect makes group work much easier and much more enjoyable.By: Roger Pierce, Bridge MBA candidate 2014
]]>2014-03-06T14:50:02ZAs winter quarter draws to an end, I
find myself in the midst of completing four group projects for four different
courses. Add this number to the three group projects from the previous quarter
and my grand total is seven group projects in six months. You can pretty much
call me a group project master at this point. Okay maybe not a master, but you
see the trend. The Bridge MBA program provides many opportunities for group
work in the form of reports, presentations, and analyses. My classmates and I
have grown accustomed to this style of work, helping us to prepare for our
future careers.

Each quarter my classmates and I are
divided into different study groups (4-5 members in size), giving us the
opportunity to work alongside different people. These study groups are then the
same groups used by our professors for group projects, which makes it easier to
juggle the many different projects going on at one time during the quarter.
This is nice because it gives us the ability to work on different projects at
one time (in some cases) and not have to worry about meeting with different
people at different times. Schedules conflict enough as it is at times, so it
is nice to only have to schedule around 3 or 4 other people’s schedules for
four projects, instead of many other people’s schedules for separate projects.

As you can imagine with four
projects, my group has had to meet many times during the quarter. Often times
we meet before class once or twice a week and occasionally after class to touch
base and possibly work on other aspects of a project. As the due dates for
these projects become closer, we have scheduled a couple of weekends in advance
to meet and spend a few hours dedicated to organizing, outlining, and
practicing presentations. This group time is great because it gives us all a
chance to bounce ideas off of one another, makes us feel productive in our
completion of project milestones, and allows us to rely on one another for
aspects of the course we might not grasp as well as another group member. This
is not to say we meet for every
aspect of each project. Both of my groups from each quarter have been good
about delegating different aspects of the group work that can be completed
individually. Often times it does not make sense to meet to work on something
we could all be working on separately.

The biggest thing I have learned
from this group work is selflessness. I will not lie to you, there are times
where I am so exhausted from class that the last thing I want to do is meet
with my group about a project. I am probably not the only person in my group
who feels that way. However, in those moments I suck it up and remember that
the meeting is important to more people than just me. Everyone in my group is
sacrificing something in order to complete our project; time that can be spent
elsewhere (with family, friends, doing homework, etc.) or energy that can also
be spent doing something else. At the end of the day, each student knows we are
all in these projects together and sacrificing something in order to meet. This
aspect makes group work much easier and much more enjoyable.

By: Roger Pierce, Bridge MBA candidate 2014

]]>What is a Cohort Anyway?http://www.seattleu.edu/albers/blog.aspx?id=130066&blogid=45580
I
remember when I first discovered that the Bridge MBA program operated in a
cohort style and thinking to myself, “I’m pretty sure I know what a cohort is,
but let’s look it up just to be sure.” So I looked it up and lo and behold, I
was correct in my thinking and thus a genius. Okay not actually… but my gut
matched the definition of: people banded together or treated as a group. This
in an academic setting implies a group of students who follow the exact same
curriculum (attending the same lectures and registering for the same courses
each quarter) through the entire completion of their degrees. This also implies
a smaller class setting ranging anywhere from three to thirty students
depending on the size of the cohort. These implications and more have come to
fruition through my time in the Bridge MBA program and I am here to tell you
that cohorts—specifically this cohort—is awesome.
The 2013-2014 Bridge MBA cohort
consists of 17 students who all know each other, and know each other well. This
is one of my favorite experiences thus far in the program. I have mentioned in
earlier blogs about the pre-program retreat where the cohort got a chance to
break the ice and get to know one another over the course of a weekend. I must
say, it has been about five months since that retreat, and it is remarkable how
well we know each other and get along with one another. Many of us have
developed friendships which extend beyond the classroom and have even networked
with each other to obtain work/internship opportunities. In my opinion, the
best part about us getting along so well together is how it affects the
classroom experience.
This quarter it was fun to see our
professors first react when they saw how comfortable we are with one another.
We’re not afraid to speak in class, when it comes to class participation, and
we are also not afraid to make the occasional joke (okay, I shouldn’t speak on
behalf of everybody, but some of us do enjoy making everyone smile). It makes
for a great class environment in which laughing is a consistent occurrence that
inevitably enhances our enjoyment in class.
So what is a cohort anyway?
Originally I thought it was simply small class sizes where every student takes
the same classes. However, a cohort is much more than that. A cohort is a
family. A family with the same goal who works together to achieve these same
goals, which in this case, is to graduate with a master’s degree in Business
Administration from one of the most prestigious schools in Washington. Getting
to know my classmates has been one of the most enriching experiences about this
program. I will be forever networked with these individuals, and, much like I
can rely on them now, I know I will be able to rely on them in the future. I
now know truly what a cohort is in academia and, I must say, I have an amazing
family.
By: Roger Pierce, 2014 Bridge MBA Candidate]]>2014-02-20T12:19:49ZI
remember when I first discovered that the Bridge MBA program operated in a
cohort style and thinking to myself, “I’m pretty sure I know what a cohort is,
but let’s look it up just to be sure.” So I looked it up and lo and behold, I
was correct in my thinking and thus a genius. Okay not actually… but my gut
matched the definition of: people banded together or treated as a group. This
in an academic setting implies a group of students who follow the exact same
curriculum (attending the same lectures and registering for the same courses
each quarter) through the entire completion of their degrees. This also implies
a smaller class setting ranging anywhere from three to thirty students
depending on the size of the cohort. These implications and more have come to
fruition through my time in the Bridge MBA program and I am here to tell you
that cohorts—specifically this cohort—is awesome.

The 2013-2014 Bridge MBA cohort
consists of 17 students who all know each other, and know each other well. This
is one of my favorite experiences thus far in the program. I have mentioned in
earlier blogs about the pre-program retreat where the cohort got a chance to
break the ice and get to know one another over the course of a weekend. I must
say, it has been about five months since that retreat, and it is remarkable how
well we know each other and get along with one another. Many of us have
developed friendships which extend beyond the classroom and have even networked
with each other to obtain work/internship opportunities. In my opinion, the
best part about us getting along so well together is how it affects the
classroom experience.

This quarter it was fun to see our
professors first react when they saw how comfortable we are with one another.
We’re not afraid to speak in class, when it comes to class participation, and
we are also not afraid to make the occasional joke (okay, I shouldn’t speak on
behalf of everybody, but some of us do enjoy making everyone smile). It makes
for a great class environment in which laughing is a consistent occurrence that
inevitably enhances our enjoyment in class.

So what is a cohort anyway?
Originally I thought it was simply small class sizes where every student takes
the same classes. However, a cohort is much more than that. A cohort is a
family. A family with the same goal who works together to achieve these same
goals, which in this case, is to graduate with a master’s degree in Business
Administration from one of the most prestigious schools in Washington. Getting
to know my classmates has been one of the most enriching experiences about this
program. I will be forever networked with these individuals, and, much like I
can rely on them now, I know I will be able to rely on them in the future. I
now know truly what a cohort is in academia and, I must say, I have an amazing
family.

By: Roger Pierce, 2014 Bridge MBA candidate

]]>The Super Bowl, Marketing Strategies, and Why Seattle is for Youhttp://www.seattleu.edu/albers/blog.aspx?id=129119&blogid=45580
February
2nd 2014, was one of the happiest days of my life. My beloved
Seahawks, the professional football team for the city of Seattle, won the Super
Bowl for the first time in franchise history. The game was heavily one-sided.
This made the game quite entertaining for a huge fan like myself, but not so
much for the casual football fan (or a football fan whose allegiance so
happened to not fall with the Seattle Seahawks or Denver Broncos). However, the
Super Bowl is a time when many companies invest millions of dollars for
commercial advertisements to be aired during the Super Bowl. These commercials
tend to be creative, funny, heart-warming, and just down right entertaining.
With this in mind, at least the casual viewer would have something to enjoy
during the Super Bowl blowout right? The answer is unfortunately no. No they
didn’t.
Since starting my marketing course
in the Bridge Program at Seattle University, I have found myself analyzing T.V.
commercials more than I ever thought I would. The Super Bowl was no different.
In between my excessively joyous screams and running around in excitement when
the Super Bowl was airing (the Seahawks could not be stopped, it was great), I
encouraged the twenty other people I viewed the game with to quiet down during
the commercials. Though rowdy and excited, it was easy to quiet everyone down
as everyone knew these commercials are (usually) quite special. They were
disappointing to say the least. While analyzing the commercials, I had a hard
time identifying many of their target markets and, for the most part, came to
the conclusion that the majority of the companies only created a commercial to
get brand recognition (or so it seemed). This, however, proved to be a
strategic and very smart decision.
The Seattle Seahawks versus the Denver
Broncos ended up being the most watched television program in the history of
television programming. The single fact that millions upon millions of people
were exposed to your brand and/or product in a commercial that will get
criticized by a small percentage of people who hold high expectations for Super
Bowl commercials (i.e. myself), while others will simply not care and buy the
product anyway because of the commercial alone is genius. So while I found
myself criticizing a large handful of the commercials while they occurred, I
found myself giving a tip-of-the-cap to the marketing teams the very next day.
Something I would not have thought about had I not been pursuing my MBA.
With that said, my studies thus far
in the program have been remarkable. I cannot attest enough to the fabulous
professors in the Albers School of Business and Economics and how well they
teach my classmates and me. I feel my
curriculum is as applicable as it’s ever been and I love finding new ways of
applying what I have learned.
I would also like to end on this
note; if you are interested in applying to the Bridge Program at Seattle
University and are not from the Seattle area, please know that Seattle is an
amazing city. It’s not very often that a city rallies around one team as much
as Seattle has with the Seahawks. Everywhere you looked there seemed to be
Seahawks’ colors and “Twelfth Man” flags waving. It was quite the spectacle.
And if you’re not a sports fan at all, that is okay; Seattle is still a place
for you. The people are friendly; the weather is beautiful on days when it
doesn’t rain (and just to note, it doesn’t rain as much as people say it does);
there are thousands of companies located in the area; and, lastly, it is one of
the leading cities in knowledge and innovation. These reasons and many others
amplify the richness that comes from a degree program such as the Bridge MBA. I
couldn’t ask for a better city to call home.
By: Roger Pierce, 2014 Bridge MBA candidate]]>2014-02-06T14:40:33ZFebruary
2nd 2014, was one of the happiest days of my life. My beloved
Seahawks, the professional football team for the city of Seattle, won the Super
Bowl for the first time in franchise history. The game was heavily one-sided.
This made the game quite entertaining for a huge fan like myself, but not so
much for the casual football fan (or a football fan whose allegiance so
happened to not fall with the Seattle Seahawks or Denver Broncos). However, the
Super Bowl is a time when many companies invest millions of dollars for
commercial advertisements to be aired during the Super Bowl. These commercials
tend to be creative, funny, heart-warming, and just down right entertaining.
With this in mind, at least the casual viewer would have something to enjoy
during the Super Bowl blowout right? The answer is unfortunately no. No they
didn’t.

Since starting my marketing course
in the Bridge Program at Seattle University, I have found myself analyzing T.V.
commercials more than I ever thought I would. The Super Bowl was no different.
In between my excessively joyous screams and running around in excitement when
the Super Bowl was airing (the Seahawks could not be stopped, it was great), I
encouraged the twenty other people I viewed the game with to quiet down during
the commercials. Though rowdy and excited, it was easy to quiet everyone down
as everyone knew these commercials are (usually) quite special. They were
disappointing to say the least. While analyzing the commercials, I had a hard
time identifying many of their target markets and, for the most part, came to
the conclusion that the majority of the companies only created a commercial to
get brand recognition (or so it seemed). This, however, proved to be a
strategic and very smart decision.

The Seattle Seahawks versus the Denver
Broncos ended up being the most watched television program in the history of
television programming. The single fact that millions upon millions of people
were exposed to your brand and/or product in a commercial that will get
criticized by a small percentage of people who hold high expectations for Super
Bowl commercials (i.e. myself), while others will simply not care and buy the
product anyway because of the commercial alone is genius. So while I found
myself criticizing a large handful of the commercials while they occurred, I
found myself giving a tip-of-the-cap to the marketing teams the very next day.
Something I would not have thought about had I not been pursuing my MBA.

With that said, my studies thus far
in the program have been remarkable. I cannot attest enough to the fabulous
professors in the Albers School of Business and Economics and how well they
teach my classmates and me. I feel my
curriculum is as applicable as it’s ever been and I love finding new ways of
applying what I have learned.

I would also like to end on this
note; if you are interested in applying to the Bridge Program at Seattle
University and are not from the Seattle area, please know that Seattle is an
amazing city. It’s not very often that a city rallies around one team as much
as Seattle has with the Seahawks. Everywhere you looked there seemed to be
Seahawks’ colors and “Twelfth Man” flags waving. It was quite the spectacle.
And if you’re not a sports fan at all, that is okay; Seattle is still a place
for you. The people are friendly; the weather is beautiful on days when it
doesn’t rain (and just to note, it doesn’t rain as much as people say it does);
there are thousands of companies located in the area; and, lastly, it is one of
the leading cities in knowledge and innovation. These reasons and many others
amplify the richness that comes from a degree program such as the Bridge MBA. I
couldn’t ask for a better city to call home.

By: Roger Pierce, 2014 Bridge MBA candidate

]]>A Washington Company and a Washington Manhttp://www.seattleu.edu/albers/blog.aspx?id=128533&blogid=45580
Seattle University's Executive Speaker Series this
past week provided me with an experience I will never forget. Ray Conner,
CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, spoke to a packed audience about the
successes and the shortcomings the company experienced in 2013. For me
specifically, seeing him speak was an awesome experience because I feel like I
can relate to him in a few ways. Mr. Conner was a genuine individual who was
animate about the fact that a person will go as far as they want, as long as
they are nice to everyone they meet along the way. This is something I believe
whole-heartedly, as well, and it was nice to see someone as successful
as Mr. Conner believe in the same thing.
It was also exciting to see Mr. Conner speak given the
attention The Boeing Company has received over the past few
months. It was unknown until a few weeks ago where the 777x was going to be
manufactured as machinists and The Boeing Company were in disagreement over the
project's contract. An agreement was eventually made and Mr. Conner touched on
the topic briefly, but emphatically. Mr. Conner explained that he has grown up
in this state his whole life and that he couldn't be happier that the 777x
is going to be built in the greater Seattle area. That comment was followed by
a round of applause from the crowd that shared the same pride he felt.
By: Roger Pierce, 2014 Bridge MBA candidate
]]>2014-01-27T17:08:29ZSeattle University's Executive Speaker Series this
past week provided me with an experience I will never forget. Ray Conner,
CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, spoke to a packed audience about the
successes and the shortcomings the company experienced in 2013. For me
specifically, seeing him speak was an awesome experience because I feel like I
can relate to him in a few ways. Mr. Conner was a genuine individual who was
animate about the fact that a person will go as far as they want, as long as
they are nice to everyone they meet along the way. This is something I believe
whole-heartedly, as well, and it was nice to see someone as successful
as Mr. Conner believe in the same thing.

It was also exciting to see Mr. Conner speak given the
attention The Boeing Company has received over the past few
months. It was unknown until a few weeks ago where the 777x was going to be
manufactured as machinists and The Boeing Company were in disagreement over the
project's contract. An agreement was eventually made and Mr. Conner touched on
the topic briefly, but emphatically. Mr. Conner explained that he has grown up
in this state his whole life and that he couldn't be happier that the 777x
is going to be built in the greater Seattle area. That comment was followed by
a round of applause from the crowd that shared the same pride he felt.

By: Roger Pierce, 2014 Bridge MBA candidate

]]>A Challenging Quarter Boasts Great Opportunitieshttp://www.seattleu.edu/albers/blog.aspx?id=127314&blogid=45580
The
winter quarter courses of the Bridge MBA program, themed “Analytical Process,” offer
a great challenge to me and my fellow Bridge Masters (a term we coined for
ourselves at our retreat last September). The courses focus on processes that
are vital to a company’s success and how all these processes intertwine. My
professors have done an excellent job of communicating with one another so that
they know the curriculum being taught in the other classes. This is great because
it will help my classmates and I learn how these aspects intersect as our
professors will integrate material from our other courses. This being said, I
understand this will be a rigorous and challenging quarter as analytical
processing is no walk in the park. Personally,
this challenge excites me as I enjoy learning new things and, as someone who is
undecided about their career, the courses this quarter are extremely intriguing
as they pose potential fields I might want to go into.
Information
Systems, Finance, Marketing, and Supply Chain Management are all areas of
business I am excited to learn about. I am also excited about the great
opportunities our professors have in store for us. In Marketing, we will be
presenting a consulting project with a company and its executive board. In Information
Systems, we will get the opportunity to work in teams and share with the rest
of the class a training module we create ourselves that teaches the class how to
use an area of information systems technology. In Supply Chain Management, we
will have the opportunity to go to a company and learn all about their
operations. In Finance, not only will we be taught by our beloved director,
David Carrithers, but we will also get the opportunity to study a finance case
and apply our knowledge from the class and share these findings in a
presentation.
All
in all, I am extremely excited for all of the great opportunities and the challenges
that await us. What I am most excited for though is the opportunity to learn
new material in courses that potentially will have a direct influence on my
future career. It’s going to be a fun quarter.
By: Roger Pierce, Bridge MBA Candidate 2014
]]>2014-01-08T17:05:58ZThe
winter quarter courses of the Bridge MBA program, themed “Analytical Process,” offer
a great challenge to me and my fellow Bridge Masters (a term we coined for
ourselves at our retreat last September). The courses focus on processes that
are vital to a company’s success and how all these processes intertwine. My
professors have done an excellent job of communicating with one another so that
they know the curriculum being taught in the other classes. This is great because
it will help my classmates and I learn how these aspects intersect as our
professors will integrate material from our other courses. This being said, I
understand this will be a rigorous and challenging quarter as analytical
processing is no walk in the park.Personally,
this challenge excites me as I enjoy learning new things and, as someone who is
undecided about my career, the courses this quarter are extremely intriguing
as they pose potential fields I might want to go into.

Information
Systems, Finance, Marketing, and Supply Chain Management are all areas of
business I am excited to learn about. I am also excited about the great
opportunities our professors have in store for us. In Marketing, we will be
presenting a consulting project with a company and its executive board. In Information
Systems, we will get the opportunity to work in teams and share with the rest
of the class a training module we create ourselves that teaches the class how to
use an area of information systems technology. In Supply Chain Management, we
will have the opportunity to go to a company and learn all about their
operations. In Finance, not only will we be taught by our beloved director,
David Carrithers, but we will also get the opportunity to study a finance case
and apply our knowledge from the class and share these findings in a
presentation.

All
in all, I am extremely excited for all of the great opportunities and the challenges
that await us. What I am most excited for though is the opportunity to learn
new material in courses that potentially will have a direct influence on my
future career. It’s going to be a fun quarter.

By: Roger Pierce, Bridge MBA Candidate 2014

]]>Cohorts Add Fun to Graduate Schoolhttp://www.seattleu.edu/albers/blog.aspx?id=126030&blogid=45580
Finals
week is just around the corner and I am currently in the midst of finishing
what has been an awesome quarter in the Bridge MBA program. From analyzing
international economies, to learning the differences between financial and
managerial accounting, I have developed a great amount of knowledge in a ten
week span. Let’s just say, graduate school has proven to be everything it is cracked
up to be.
Fun,
challenging, engaging, and collaborative; these are only a few of the words
that come to mind when defining the first quarter of graduate school. Fun may
come off as a cliché word to describe the first quarter of an inaugural
graduate school program, but I am being honest when I say this quarter has been
fun and enjoyable. Following the retreat in mid-September, where my classmates
and I got a head start on getting to know one another, class has been a
comfortable environment where learning is enhanced by everyone’s willingness to
contribute.
Also,
coming to class early has been fun. Yes that is not a typo—coming to class
early has in fact been fun. Gone are the days where I found myself five minutes
early to class waiting in silence while fellow classmates filled the seats only
to not talk to one another. These days, my classmates and I show up thirty
minutes early, engage in conversations, eat lunch together, and continue our conversations
after class by grabbing a drink somewhere. The relationships I have developed
with my classmates have been an unexpected part of the Bridge MBA program, but
something I am very thankful for. In addition to being fun, the quarter has
also been challenging as learning business principles is no easy task. Having an entire class there to support one
another is unbeatable. We help each other when help is needed and we remind each
other of due dates when they approa
There
are many concepts I have learned this quarter in regards to business. One of
these concepts is that cohesive teams are the most productive teams. With this
concept in mind and finals week fast approaching, one can expect a lot of productivity
from the Bridge MBA cohort. Happy
Holidays!
By: Roger Pierce
]]>2013-12-04T14:22:56ZFinals
week is just around the corner and I am currently in the midst of finishing
what has been an awesome quarter in the Bridge MBA program. From analyzing
international economies, to learning the differences between financial and
managerial accounting, I have developed a great amount of knowledge in a ten
week span. Let’s just say, graduate school has proven to be everything it is cracked
up to be.

Fun,
challenging, engaging, and collaborative; these are only a few of the words
that come to mind when defining the first quarter of graduate school. Fun may
come off as a cliché word to describe the first quarter of an inaugural
graduate school program, but I am being honest when I say this quarter has been
fun and enjoyable. Following the retreat in mid-September, where my classmates
and I got a head start on getting to know one another, class has been a
comfortable environment where learning is enhanced by everyone’s willingness to
contribute.

Also,
coming to class early has been fun. Yes that is not a typo—coming to class
early has in fact been fun. Gone are the days where I found myself five minutes
early to class waiting in silence while fellow classmates filled the seats only
to not talk to one another. These days, my classmates and I show up thirty
minutes early, engage in conversations, eat lunch together, and continue our conversations
after class by grabbing a drink somewhere. The relationships I have developed
with my classmates have been an unexpected part of the Bridge MBA program, but
something I am very thankful for. In addition to being fun, the quarter has
also been challenging as learning business principles is no easy task.Having an entire class there to support one
another is unbeatable. We help each other when help is needed and we remind each
other of due dates when they approach.

There
are many concepts I have learned this quarter in regards to business. One of
these concepts is that cohesive teams are the most productive teams. With this
concept in mind and finals week fast approaching, one can expect a lot of productivity
from the Bridge MBA cohort.

Happy
Holidays!

By: Roger Pierce

]]>Opportunities to Establish Business Connections in the Bridgehttp://www.seattleu.edu/albers/blog.aspx?id=125665&blogid=45580
As the inaugural Bridge MBA cohort
reaches the end of our first quarter together, we cannot help but feel excited
for the future ahead and to develop the friendships we have created. The
quarter has been fast paced with the acquisition of fundamental knowledge in
Business Economics, Accounting, Project Management, and Organizational
Behavior. The quarter has also been filled with excellent opportunities which
have further enhanced our knowledge of business and provided us with moments to
network with members of the business community. In late October, the Albers
School of Business and Economics hosted a career fair where many of us met with
employers from the Seattle area. Many of the employers we spoke to were
impressed with our participation in a full-time MBA program. Those of us who
submitted resumes to interested employers are looking forward to the
opportunity of reconnecting with them in the future.
Recently our cohort was given the
great privilege of having guest speakers in both our Business Accounting and Observational
Behavior courses. In Business Accounting we had a guest lecture from Lisa
Janicki, CFO of Janicki Industries. Ms. Janicki gave a phenomenal presentation
that outlined a brief history of the company and described its growth and
current product development, while also incorporating accounting concepts. The
presentation was followed by a Q&A session where students were given the
opportunity to ask Ms. Janicki any questions that they had.
In our Observational Behavior course
a guest panel spoke about the benefits of networking. Our panel consisted of
Marlis Korber: President of SBI Management Services, Nadine Rosendin: Manager
in the Workforce Development Organization at The Boing Company, and Greg
Scully: Corporate Relations Manager in the Albers School of Business. Panelists
spoke about the importance of networking within the business community and also
gave us helpful tips on how to go about networking. A main point all of the
panelists touched on was the idea that networking is not all about ourselves,
but instead, it is about the people we are networking with. When networking, many
people focus on what that person can do for them, as opposed to focusing on
what they can do for that person. The panelists emphasized this point greatly, which
is valuable advice as we begin our careers.
Thus far, the Bridge MBA program has
been fun, challenging, and filled with great opportunities. As finals week
approaches we look forward to finishing the quarter strong and continuing to
expand our business knowledge.
]]>2013-11-21T12:59:08ZAs the inaugural Bridge MBA cohort
reaches the end of our first quarter together, we cannot help but feel excited
for the future ahead and to develop the friendships we have created. The
quarter has been fast paced with the acquisition of fundamental knowledge in
Business Economics, Accounting, Project Management, and Organizational
Behavior. The quarter has also been filled with excellent opportunities which
have further enhanced our knowledge of business and provided us with moments to
network with members of the business community. In late October, the Albers
School of Business and Economics hosted a career fair where many of us met with
employers from the Seattle area. Many of the employers we spoke to were
impressed with our participation in a full-time MBA program. Those of us who
submitted resumes to interested employers are looking forward to the
opportunity of reconnecting with them in the future

Recently our cohort was given the
great privilege of having guest speakers in both our Business Accounting and Observational
Behavior courses. In Business Accounting we had a guest lecture from Lisa
Janicki, CFO of Janicki Industries. Ms. Janicki gave a phenomenal presentation
that outlined a brief history of the company and described its growth and
current product development, while also incorporating accounting concepts. The
presentation was followed by a Q&A session where students were given the
opportunity to ask Ms. Janicki any questions that they had.

In our Observational Behavior course
a guest panel spoke about the benefits of networking. Our panel consisted of
Marlis Korber: President of SBI Management Services, Nadine Rosendin: Manager
in the Workforce Development Organization at The Boing Company, and Greg
Scully: Corporate Relations Manager in the Albers School of Business. Panelists
spoke about the importance of networking within the business community and also
gave us helpful tips on how to go about networking. A main point all of the
panelists touched on was the idea that networking is not all about ourselves,
but instead, it is about the people we are networking with. When networking, many
people focus on what that person can do for them, as opposed to focusing on
what they can do for that person. The panelists emphasized this point greatly, which
is valuable advice as we begin our careers.

Thus far, the Bridge MBA program has
been fun, challenging, and filled with great opportunities. As finals week
approaches we look forward to finishing the quarter strong and continuing to
expand our business knowledge.

By Roger Pierce

]]>Welcome to the Bridge MBA Blog!http://www.seattleu.edu/albers/blog.aspx?id=124986&blogid=45580
Seattle University's Bridge MBA is a one year, intensive, cohort program. The Bridge's inaugural cohort started in fall of 2013. This blog is a place for current Bridge MBA students to write about their experiences in the program, for the benefit of other current or prospective students. You can expect posts at least every other week by our Bridge Graduate Student Ambassador, as well as other Bridge students. You can also view the Bridge MBA program's website for more information about the program: http://www.seattleu.edu/albers/bridgemba/.]]>2013-11-06T13:56:55ZA new blog for a new MBA program!

Seattle University's Bridge MBA is a one year, intensive, cohort program for students with less than 2 years of professional business experience and an undergraduate degree in something other than business. The Bridge's inaugural cohort started in fall of 2013. This blog is a place for current Bridge MBA students to write about their experiences in the program, for the benefit of other current or prospective students. You can expect posts at least every other week by our Bridge Graduate Student Ambassador, as well as other Bridge students. You can also view the Bridge MBA program's website for more information about the program: http://www.seattleu.edu/albers/bridgemba/.